Method and system for planning and booking trips

Abstract

A method and system for planning and booking a trip, voyage or other travel service or product by using a social network on a network.

1 . A system for at least one user ( 100 ) to search for a trip from at least one travel agency for booking, the user ( 100 ) having a user communication device ( 110 ), the travel agency having a travel agency server ( 300 ); the user communication device ( 110 ) and the travel agency server ( 300 ) being able to communicate indirectly through at least one online social network having a social network server ( 120 ) which is connectable with the user communication device ( 110 ) and a travel provider server ( 201 ), wherein the travel provider server ( 201 ) is connected to at least one travel agency server ( 300 ), wherein the social network server ( 120 ) stores a first set of data in a first format associated with the user ( 100 ), and wherein the travel provider server ( 201 ) is capable of storing at least one trip request associated with the user ( 100 ) and at least one trip proposal from the travel agency both comprising a second set of data in a second format and associated with one or more travel agency, wherein the travel provider server ( 201 ) comprises:
 a structuring system ( 202 ) comprising a data retrieval module ( 610 ) for retrieving at least one first set of data from at least one user, a structuring module ( 620 ) for analysing the first set of data and a merging module ( 630 ) for formatting the first set of data into a third set of data in the second format for each user;   a search module ( 230 ) for comparing the third set of data with the second set of data of the one or more travel proposals to determine a list of one or more matching trip proposals for each user ( 100 ); and   a communication module ( 280 ) for transmitting the list of matching trip proposals to the travel provider server ( 201 ) for transmission to the social network server ( 120 ) to display the list of matching trip proposals on the user communication device ( 110 ) for selection of a preferred matching trip proposal and for setting up a direct communication between the user communication device ( 100 ) and the travel agency to enable the user ( 100 ) to book the trip.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a grouping module ( 290 ) for grouping users ( 100 ) requesting the same trip requests. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the search module ( 230 ) comprises a biasing module ( 250 ) to compare the requirement of the first set of data with the matching trip proposals for each user ( 100 ). 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the search module ( 230 ) further comprises a rating module ( 260 ) and a rating database ( 270 ) storing rating of the travel agencies, wherein the rating module ( 260 ) ranks the matching trip proposals based on the quality of services provided by the travel agencies. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the travel provider server ( 201 ) comprises a request database ( 210 ). 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the request database ( 210 ) comprises trip requests and service requests from the user ( 100 ). 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the travel provider server ( 201 ) comprises a proposal database ( 220 ). 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the proposal database ( 210 ) comprises trip proposals from the travel agencies and service proposals from service providers. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the structuring system ( 202 ) comprises a storage module ( 640 ) to store the third set of data in the second format for each user. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the merging module ( 630 ) can generate a profile of the user ( 100 ) in a global distribution system (GDS). 
     
     
         11 . A method of operating a system for at least one user ( 100 ) to search for a trip from at least one travel agency for booking, the user ( 100 ) having a user communication device ( 110 ), the travel agency having a travel agency server ( 300 ); the user communication device ( 110 ) and the travel agency server ( 300 ) being able to communicate indirectly through at least one online social network having a social network server ( 120 ) which is connectable with the user communication device ( 110 ) and a travel provider server ( 201 ), wherein the travel provider server ( 201 ) is connected to at least one travel agency server ( 300 ), wherein the social network server ( 120 ) stores a first set of data in a first format associated with the user ( 100 ), and wherein the travel provider server ( 201 ) is capable of storing at least one trip request associated with the user ( 100 ) and at least one trip proposal from the travel agency both comprising a second set of data in a second format and associated with one or more travel agency, wherein the travel provider server ( 201 ) comprises:
 a structuring system ( 202 ) comprising a data retrieval module ( 610 ) for retrieving at least one first set of data from at least one user, a structuring module ( 620 ) for analysing the first set of data and a merging module ( 630 ) for formatting the first set of data into a third set of data in the second format for each user;   a search module ( 230 ) for comparing the third set of data with the second set of data of the one or more travel proposals to determine a list of one or more matching trip proposals for each user ( 100 ); and   a communication module ( 280 ) for transmitting the list of matching trip proposals to the travel provider server ( 201 ) for transmission to the social network server ( 120 ) to display the list of matching trip proposals on the user communication device ( 110 ) for selection of a preferred matching trip proposal and for setting up a direct communication between the user communication device ( 100 ) and the travel agency to enable the user ( 100 ) to book the trip.   
     
     
         12 . A computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of a method of operating a system for at least one user ( 100 ) to search for a trip from at least one travel agency for booking, the user ( 100 ) having a user communication device ( 110 ), the travel agency having a travel agency server ( 300 ); the user communication device ( 110 ) and the travel agency server ( 300 ) being able to communicate indirectly through at least one online social network having a social network server ( 120 ) which is connectable with the user communication device ( 110 ) and a travel provider server ( 201 ), wherein the travel provider server ( 201 ) is connected to at least one travel agency server ( 300 ), wherein the social network server ( 120 ) stores a first set of data in a first format associated with the user ( 100 ), and wherein the travel provider server ( 201 ) is capable of storing at least one trip request associated with the user ( 100 ) and at least one trip proposal from the travel agency both comprising a second set of data in a second format and associated with one or more travel agency, wherein the travel provider server ( 201 ) comprises:
 a structuring system ( 202 ) comprising a data retrieval module ( 610 ) for retrieving at least one first set of data from at least one user, a structuring module ( 620 ) for analysing the first set of data and a merging module ( 630 ) for formatting the first set of data into a third set of data in the second format for each user;   a search module ( 230 ) for comparing the third set of data with the second set of data of the one or more travel proposals to determine a list of one or more matching trip proposals for each user ( 100 ); and   a communication module ( 280 ) for transmitting the list of matching trip proposals to the travel provider server ( 201 ) for transmission to the social network server ( 120 ) to display the list of matching trip proposals on the user communication device ( 110 ) for selection of a preferred matching trip proposal and for setting up a direct communication between the user communication device ( 100 ) and the travel agency to enable the user ( 100 ) to book the trip, when said computer program is executed on a computer system.